Generally speaking, with moderate use, smartphones can give you a full day's performance before needing to be recharged, but not all gadgets are created equal - some simply run out of steam early, whereas others will hang in there for the long haul. We've rounded up several smartphones with battery life that really impressed us.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD (Verizon)

Cnet rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The good: The Droid Razr Maxx HD (Verizon) offers fast performance, a big, impressive screen and luxurious design. It also has great call quality, lots of storage, 4G data speeds and unbeatable battery life.

The bad: The major weakness is a camera that produces subpar images. The phone is filled with Verizon bloatware as well.

Sony Xperia Ion (AT&T)

The bad: The claimed 12-megapixel camera produces lackluster images and video. The phone was originally also held back by an old processor and an outdated OS, though an Ice Cream Sandwich OS is now available.

The cost: Free (with contract) to $450

The bottom line: Sony's Xperia Ion may not be the world's fastest smartphone, but it does have solid battery life. The handset hung on for 7 hours and 57 minutes before expiring.

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE (Sprint)

Cnet rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The good: The Photon Q 4G LTE has a fast processor, a superb keyboard, Android 4.0 and a bright, colorful screen.

The bad: Until Sprint LTE is more widespread, the Photon Q 4G LTE is mostly stuck with 3G data. The phone is thick and heavy, it takes disappointing pictures, and its battery isn't user-removable.

The cost: $198 to $642

The bottom line: The Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE is hefty, but packs modern Android power, an excellent keyboard and LTE 4G if you're lucky.

The following Cnet staff members contributed to this report: associate editor Lynn La, and senior editors Brian Bennett and Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com.